Integrated Flexible Textile Footwear with Graphic Insert

ABSTRACT

A greeting card having a pair of nested textile foot-coverings, a rigid planar insert and a graphic insert for including a message to a recipient. Alternatively, said card may be enclosed in an envelope or clear plastic packaging.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61,185,944 filed Jun. 10, 2009.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Greeting cards are vastly popular. They create a sense of delight andintimacy between a sender and a recipient who may be in proximity whenthe card is exchanged, but who also may be separated by a geographicdistance that precludes physical contact. Unlike telephoniccommunication, a greeting card provides visual and tangible stimulus forthe recipient and as well as a species of permanence that allows thedelight of the card to be experienced again and again, for as long asthe recipient desires. Moreover, unlike other forms of writtencorrespondence that are primarily text-based, a greeting card provides apre-existing visual message that may include both text and graphicillustration, often whimsical and cartoonish, that can convey a broadspectrum of emotional messages from humorous to poignant, with aconvenient and de minimus effort by the sender. In short, they areconvenient and effective means for communicating and for injecting acertain sense of specialness into said communication.

The popularity of greeting cards has spawned innumerous variations onthe simple theme of folded cardstock with message-appropriate text andimages. Examples of such variants include cards that fold up intovarious three dimensional structures (U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,780 to Ellis),“pop-up” three-dimensional greeting cards (U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,992 toFinkelshteyn), cards including pleasing odor-emanating frangiblecontainers (U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,769 to NorFleet), cards with integrateddog biscuits (U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,516 to Stonoga, et al.), cards withtranslucent inserts (U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,569 to Bean), cards thatinclude integrated electronic sound recordings with playback apparatus(U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,698 to Johnson, et al.), cards that includeintegrated prepaid phone cards (U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,977), cards thatinclude integrated battery powered illuminated messages (U.S. Pat. No.4,497,126 to Dejean), cards that include integrated transparentcontainers for holding thematically associated ornamental objects (U.S.Pat. No. 4,951,404 to Lithwick), cards that include integratedmini-flashlights (U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,917 to Chabria), mechanical cardswith metallic hinges and leaves (U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,942 to Ivicic),cards with integrated, removable bookmarks (U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,793),cards that include an integrated hanging mobile (U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,319to Saxton), combinations of greeting cards and phonographic records(U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,761 to Pelkey) and even fabric cards from which therecipient can, assuming a requisite number are received, construct amemory quilt commemorating the event or events that precipitated thedelivery of the card in the first place (U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,415 toSelga). In short, the public's hunger for charming and amusingvariations on the humble greeting card is limited only by theimagination of those who create these delightful mailable novelties.

At the same time, consumers are very fond of socks. In addition to theircommon, workaday purpose as liners for more robust footwear such asshoes or boots, socks constitute a comfortable form of footwear on theirown accord for times of relaxation. Socks combine the flexible,unrestrained comfort of a barefoot experience with an additionalcomponent of warmth and protection. Worn on their own, socks protectfeet from dirt and other contaminants and are easily both removed andwashed. Moreover, unlike slippers, socks are not overly warm, areinexpensive, and have the added comfort benefit of being worn both inand out of bed. In addition, given their relative cheapness, consumerscan acquire a variety of colored and patterned socks, which allows foran additional element of whimsy and enjoyment to the wearing of socksthat is not as readily available with other forms of footwear. Given themanifold advantages and joys of socks, it is unsurprising that socks areso widely popular and almost uniformly favored by consumers.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide anincreased sense of delight and comfort imparted to the recipient uponreceipt of a greeting card, while simultaneously maintaining theconvenience of the card for the sender and the fundamental requirementthat the card be easily mailed, by combining the emotional pleasure of agreeting card with the sensual pleasure of socks.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment the invention may include a semi-rigid planar inserthaving the general shape of the sole of a foot; with a rounded heelsection, a hip contour through the middle/arch section in and a slightlylarger, bulbous, tapered forefoot section. Said insert can be made ofpaper, card stock, card board, polymer, plastic, or even a lightweightwood such as balsa. The face of the insert has a defined section fromapproximately mid-forefoot to mid-heel which is the display portion ofsaid face. This section may include a pre-printed graphic, design,illustration and/or written message in the standard manner of a greetingcard. Additional room through this section may also be available for asender to inscribe a handwritten message to the recipient.

One possible embodiment of the invention may further include a pair offlexible, textile footwear, capable of being nested one inside theother. Said footwear may be a pair of foot-socks or slippers having anelastic opening and sized just to cover a foot—without extending up awearer's ankle or leg—sometimes known as booties, micro-socks or runningsocks. The footwear may be constructed of cotton or any other naturalfiber, synthetics, a blend of natural and synthetic fibers, or anyfunctional equivalent. The flexible footwear may be colored or have acolor pattern to as to coordinate with, highlight or otherwise increasethe communicative effectiveness of the pre-printed graphic, design,illustration and/or written message on the semi-rigid, planar insert.

In a further preferred embodiment, the semi-rigid, planar insert andfootwear may be combined by inserting the planar insert into the nestingpair of footwear or socks, thereby giving the footwear or socks asemi-rigid planar shape, and exposing the pre-printed graphic, design,illustration and/or written message through the contiguous openings ofthe nesting footwear, bordered by said elastic opening.

Embodiments of the invention may further have an envelope adequatelysized to accommodate said combination of nested footwear and semi-rigidplanar insert. Said envelope may similarly be colored or have a colorpattern that coordinates with, highlights or otherwise increases thecommunicative effectiveness of the pre-printed graphic, design,illustration and/or written message on the semi-rigid, planar insert. Inits most preferred embodiment, the combination of insert, footwear andenvelope are opened by a recipient to reveal the footwear, which, uponremoval from said envelope further reveals the pre-printed graphic,design, illustration and/or written message on the insert. As one,non-limiting example the best mode for the preferred embodiment, thefootwear may be removed from said envelope to reveal the humorousmessage “Congratulations! You deserve a standing ovation!” Otherfoot-related humorous, sentimental, poignant or absurd messages may alsobe printed on the insert and should be obvious to one reasonably skilledin the art.

In alternative preferred embodiments, the combination of the insert, thenesting footwear and the envelope may be contained, marketed anddisplayed in a clear polymer package so that footwear, insert andenvelope are simultaneously, protected, consolidated and visible to theconsumer for examination prior to purchase.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a three-quarter view of the combination of a semi-rigid,sole-shaped planar insert with nested flexible footwear, in this casesocks, as contemplated by one preferred embodiment of the currentinvention.

FIG. 2 depicts a template for a semi-rigid, sole-shaped planar insert ascontemplated by one preferred embodiment of the current invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a template for a semi-rigid, sole-shaped planar insertwith superimposed graphic/text portion to be visible when inserted intoflexible footwear as contemplated by one preferred embodiment of thecurrent invention.

FIG. 4 depicts the combination of a semi-rigid, sole-shaped planarinsert with nested flexible footwear, in this case socks, ascontemplated by one preferred embodiment of the current invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Depicted embodiment FIG. 2 shows a semi-rigid planar insert 20 havingthe general shape of the sole of a foot; with a rounded heel section, ahip contour through the middle/arch section in and a slightly larger,bulbous, tapered forefoot section. Said insert 20 can be made of paper,card stock, card board, polymer, plastic, or even a lightweight woodsuch as balsa. FIG. 3 depicts the face of the insert, having a definedsection from approximately mid-forefoot to mid-heel which is the displayportion 10 of said face. This section may include a pre-printed graphic,design, illustration and/or written message in visible area 10 a in thestandard manner of a greeting card. Additional room through this sectionmay also be available for a sender to inscribe a handwritten message tothe recipient.

As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 4, one embodiment of the invention includes apair of flexible, textile footwear 30, capable of being nested oneinside the other. Said footwear may be a pair of foot-socks or slippershaving an elastic opening and sized just to cover a foot—withoutextending up a wearer's ankle or leg—sometimes known as booties,micro-socks or running socks. The footwear may be constructed of cottonor any other natural fiber, synthetics, a blend of natural and syntheticfibers, or any functional equivalent. The flexible footwear may becolored or have a color pattern to as to coordinate with, highlight orotherwise increase the communicative effectiveness of the pre-printedgraphic, design, illustration and/or written message on the semi-rigid,planar insert 10.

As shown in FIG. 4, the semi-rigid, planar insert and footwear may becombined by inserting the planar insert into the nesting pair offootwear or socks, thereby giving the footwear or socks a semi-rigidplanar shape, and exposing the pre-printed graphic, design, illustrationand/or written message through the contiguous openings of the nestingfootwear, bordered by said elastic opening.

Embodiments of the invention may further have an envelope adequatelysized to accommodate said combination of nested footwear and semi-rigidplanar insert. Said envelope may similarly be colored or have a colorpattern that coordinates with, highlights or otherwise increases thecommunicative effectiveness of the pre-printed graphic, design,illustration and/or written message on the semi-rigid, planar insert. Inits most preferred embodiment, the combination of insert, footwear andenvelope are opened by a recipient to reveal the footwear, which, uponremoval from said envelope further reveals the pre-printed graphic,design, illustration and/or written message on the insert.

In alternative preferred embodiments, the combination of the insert, thenesting footwear and the envelope may be contained, marketed anddisplayed in a clear polymer package so that footwear, insert andenvelope are simultaneously, protected, consolidated and visible to theconsumer for examination prior to purchase.

1. A greeting card comprising: a pair of flexible nesting footwear; anda semi-rigid, planar insert contained within said nesting footwear. 2.The greeting card of claim 1 wherein said footwear comprises socks. 3.The greeting card of claim 1 wherein said insert is shaped approximatelylike the sole of a foot, having a rounded heel, an arch contour and abulbous tapered forefoot.
 4. The greeting card of claim 1 wherein saidinsert has graphics, illustration or text on its face and said graphics,illustration or text are visible when the insert is contained withinsaid nesting footwear.
 5. The greeting card of claim 1 furthercomprising an envelope.